Melbourne:Australia are set to have an unchanged playing eleven for the Boxing Day Test here on December 26.
"I'd be a pretty courageous man to change the XI for this Test match after the last one," said head coach Justin Langer. "At this stage unless something happens over the next few days - and it can happen in the world we live in - we'll go in with the same XI, I'd say."
With David Warner already being ruled out for the second Test, the opening pair of Matthew Wade and Joe Burns is set to continue at the top. Langer said that Warner was not fully up to the mark with his running as yet but was hopeful of getting him back later in the series.
"I think we're a very different team. we've come a long way in two years, we're now playing very good cricket, we've got confidence," said Langer.
"I also remember losing the toss at MCG on a very, very, very, very flat wicket and that certainly took some wind off our sails, that's for sure. So we're a different team, we know that in the first innings in Australia we are looking to score 400 in the first innings. There's no surprise there, that's what we've based our best cricket on in years."
India announce playing XI for 2nd Test against Australia; Gill, Siraj to debut
Melbourne: India on Friday announced their playing XI for the 2nd Test of the of the Border Gavaskar Trophy against Australia, starting here on Saturday. Shubman Gill and Mohammed Siraj will make their Test debuts on Saturday as India made four changes in their bid to bounce back in the four match series.
The 21-year-old Gill comes in to replace struggling opener Prithvi Shaw and is expected to open the innings alongside Mayank Agarwal at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Siraj has been brought in replacing Mohammed Shami, who has been ruled out of the entire Test series due to an injury.All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja comes into the side as a replacement for Kohli, who has left for India on paternity leave.
Meanwhile, wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant would be playing at Melbourne in place of Wriddhiman Saha.Ajinkya Rahane will lead the team in the absence of Virat Kohli. India currently trail the four-match series 1-0 after losing the first Test by eight wickets at Adelaide.
India's Playing XI for Boxing Day Test: Ajinkya Rahane (captain), Shubman Gill (debut), Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Umesh Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj (debut)(UNI)
